A Promise To You
by Shawcross Gal
Summary: Naruto is extremely sick one night from reasons unknown..on top of that he's having horrific nightmares. Can Sakura help him make it through this difficult trial or will he slip away forever from her hold?...A NaruSaku story.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own nor profit off of Naruto. I only enjoy the beautiful drama in it and look forward to watching it every week._

_A/N: So this is sort of a strange story. It follows the plot...but it also doesn't.. (as in the scene your about to read about doesn't really fall into an episode category...if that makes sense. Let me know whatcha think._

_Takes place during sometime in the newer Shippuden episodes._

**A Promise To You**

...

The heavy rain pounded hard against the Konoha hospital windows as a fierce thunder storm continued on throughout the dreary day and into the night. Sakura shifted in her chair and fluffed up the pillow that Lee had offered her as she tried to find some kind of comfortable position to sleep in.

Before shutting her heavy eyes to get some much needed rest, she took one last look at her dear comrade to make sure he was alright. Satisfied with what she saw, she drooped in exhaustion and succumbed to the darkness. _'Naruto...'_

The boy beside her hadn't stirred in over a day. No one knew what to make of it except that he was extremely sick.

_"It's much more severe than just a mere flu." _One nurse had said earlier. _"The fact that he's not waking up and his fever continues to climb are both really bad signs...We're not exactly sure what's wrong with him."_

All of Naruto's visitors were surprised to see that Sakura had not once left his side since they arrived, except to grab some food or go to the bathroom.

At one point, Shikamaru had even spotted her holding his hand gently in her own and stroking it softly. She whispered something in the unconscious blond's ear, which left the dark haired ninja feeling like an invader of privacy as he quietly slipped away from the door and back down the hall.

Flowers and little gifts were scattered across the room, a reminder of how well loved the patient was.

As a bolt of lightning hit the ground nearby it momentarily lit up the black sky and it was at this moment that Sakura heard the scream. _HIS scream..._

...

_Orochimaru stood only a few feet away from Naruto, licking his lips and laughing menacingly. "Sasuke-kun is mine, boy. He told me himself that he hates you...that he would love to see your rotten corpse lay at his feet."_

_Naruto's blood boiled hot beneath his skin as he pushed back the tears that threatened to fall._

_"LIAR!" He cried. "You're a LIAR!!"_

_Charging blindly forward with everything he had, he clenched a kunai tightly in his hand and plunged it deep into Orochimaru's belly, as blood sprayed from the wound and onto his face and clothes. _

_"This is for Sasu-" Naruto's face fell as he stopped in mid sentence. The crimson liquid trailed down his enemies, now, dark blue shirt. He watched in pure anguish as the hideous snake like foe transformed into his best friend._

_"Sasuke..." He barely whispered, still clinging to the the weapon inside the victim._

_Orochimaru's mocking laughter filled his ears and surrounded his entire being. The broken teen shook his head in disbelief as he felt his own heart shatter to pieces._

_The young Uchiha who stood before him tried to say something, but could only manage one last breath before crumbling to the ground. He stared up with pained, helpless eyes, and then ..he was gone. _

"SASUKE!"

Sakura's eyes snapped open as she heard her charge's harsh scream ringing in her ears. Flinging herself from the chair, she instinctively ran to his side, at first simply grabbing his hand like she had been doing for the past few days.

"Sasuke! No!... No!" Naruto wailed from deep in his throat, kicking and flailing like a mad man as Sakura attempted to wake him. He was going to hurt himself, or perhaps even her own self if she couldn't calm him down.

"Naruto-kun! Wake up!...Open your eyes." She pleaded with him, shifting her weight as she pinned his arms to the bed.

The burdened teen screamed the familiar name once again followed by another fit of desperate sobs and wails.

Seeing no other option, Sakura shook him forcefully in a last attempt to wake him from the troubled nightmares.

Her heart ached for Naruto. It wasn't fair that he carried such a burden...the burden of losing Sasuke...of not keeping his promise. She deeply wished that he would forgive himself for not finding their comrade, but he continued to bottle it all in while covering it up with that sweet and carefree smile.

As another bolt of lightning hit the ground, the jinchuuriki's frail body jolted awake and he sat up in shear panic.

Watery blue eyes scanned in terror for something...anything to help him escape from the evil feelings that surrounded him. His trembling hands searched for familiarity as he listened to his own pathetic cries.

As his fingers grazed over Sakura's middle, he instinctively shied away from the young woman. That is until he heard her quiet voice ring through his ears.

"Naruto...I'm here." She soothed, rubbing a hand up and down his shoulder. "It's me... Sak-"

She gasped as the frightened boy lunged forward and tightly gripped her waist. She could feel his feverish body pressed close to hers and despite the worry she felt at how high his fever must have been, the medical ninja felt a different kind of heat rise to her own cheeks.

"S-S-Sakura-chan." Naruto choked out, breathing as if he'd just ran laps from a long day of training. "D-Don't...P-Please...d-don't go."

Sakura instantly wrapped her arms around him upon hearing his timid request.

How many times had she pushed him away when he even attempted to embrace her? At any other time she would have been enraged by such an act or at least she would pretend to hate it.

But what if someone were to open the door to the room right now? No doubt there would be rumors..or at least suspicion. Even as this thought crossed her mind, she was suddenly more aware of the sound of peoples' shuffling feet passing by the room.

Taking a deep breath, she forced her growing fear of the _'what if's' _behind her and continued to comfort Naruto as best she could.

He needed her. It was that simple.

She quietly whispered things in his ears.. secret comforts that were just between the two of them.

"I killed h-him." The young ninja whimpered. " I- I thought that..."

Sakura shushed him gently, noticing that the poor thing couldn't even finish his sentence. "It was just a dream, Hun..."

The pink haired woman found herself under complete control of her true feelings as she cradled and rocked him tenderly like a tiny baby. She had called him 'hun'. As the enduring name rolled of her tongue, she nearly wanted to laugh at herself for being so sentimental with him. She truly hoped he would forget this little moment in time and that he wouldn't get the impression that she cared for him in any other way but a friend.

Her heart skipped a beat as she heard the door slowly creak open. Another blush crept to her face upon seeing her sensei enter silently.

"Kakashi Sensei.." Sakura murmured.

The masked ninja moved forward and gave a little sigh. "I heard him screaming from down the hall. How is he?"

Sakura cleared her throat and moved slightly, feeling so vulnerable and embarrassed. She found that she would not let go of Naruto, however, despite her worrying about Kakashi's thoughts on the scene before him.

"His fever is still quite high...but he's just had a terrible dream."

For a moment the only sounds were Naruto's sniffles and heavy breathing. Kakashi felt a sudden fatherly feeling wash over him at seeing the teenage boy in such a state. But he was just as equally fascinated upon noticing the extremely intimate bond between his students. Never had he seen Sakura so caring and loving towards the usually goofy blond.

"I'm taking care of him, sensei...He'll be okay." Sakura stated simply, bringing him out of his thought process.

It was then that he noticed her green eyes pleading to be left alone, maybe even pleading for him to keep quiet about this event.

Completely catching the hint he nodded and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Right then...Oyasumi, Sakura." He stated softly with a smile, turning and going back out to the lighted hall.

After seeing him leave, the young woman focused her attention back on to her friend. He had calmed slightly and she felt him lean more heavily into her lap.

Combing a hand through his soft hair, she gently wiped his reddened eyes and nose with the other.

"Sakura-chan...Thank you. I'm s-sorr-" Naruto could barely stay awake as he fought the darkness to tell her how greatfull he was.

Sakura smiled and wrapped a blanket around his form, making him feel even more secure.

"Just.. go to sleep now, silly." She replied before shutting her eyes as well.

...

TBC?

...

_A/N: :sigh:_

_My first Naruto fic. I'm not asking for gentleness, cause if it sucks it sucks. HAHA But no flames would be nice. I like Constructive Criticism._

_Anywho,I am known for my sappy hurt/comfort stories so bare with me. Should I continue or should it remain a one-shot? Any thoughts are much appreciated._

_Oh by the way, the whole 'Hun' thing just sort of came to me. I realize that they don't use that word in Japan(to my knowledge) and I was wondering if that was a stupid idea. I just thought it was cute. haha Thanks for reading._

_God Bless!_


	2. Chapter 2

...

_A/N: Thank You guys so much for the comments! _

_So I guess this story gets to continue. I have a plot brewing quite well its just a little slow at the moment. There's actually going to be a lot of mystery and possible suspense behind this story line so..._

_This chapter is kind of flashbacky because my smart husband told me that Sakura should have seemed stronger then in the last chapter. _

_He's right, ya know? She's a powerful Medical Ninja. So to fix this, I will explain in this chapter why in the beginning of Chapter 1 she seemed so weak..if that makes sense. haha...lets just hope I can portray it right on paper. :)_

_Enjoy!_

...

Chapter 2

Sakura awoke with a start upon hearing Naruto moan in pain. He sat doubled over at the edge of the bed, clutching the sheets with white knuckles, sweat glistening his face and neck.

The medical ninja bolted to his side, checking his temperature and then moving to the more important problem.

Naruto turned to look at her, anxiety written on his face. Another utterance of indistinct fussing escaped the afflicted teen's lips as he swiftly gripped his stomach.

"Ugh..I hate t-this..." He cried with a soft but frustrated tone through gritted teeth.

Sakura laid a hand gently on his back to remind him that she was there to help. "Naruto...Are you nauseous?" She asked tenderly, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.

The young woman's question was instantly answered as the boy began to vomit all over the hospital floor. "Naruto-Kun!" She shouted in fright.

Dashing to the door, she ripped it open and called for help. This was far more serious than she and the others could have guessed.

Returning to her charge, she immediately began to try and take the edge off his pain with her healing abilities. She was still feeling so powerless against the sickness since the early hours of that morning. Everyone had looked to her for answers as she was one of the top medical ninja. Confident at first, she had figured it something easily fixable. But as the long hours of healing him began it was becoming more and more challenging.

...

_The morning before..._

_"Sakura! " Shikamaru called out, sprinting towards her, his face showing distress. _

_The medical ninja met the boy's gaze and ran to meet him. "Shikamaru.. What is it?" She asked, feeling her pulse quicken._

_As the question left her lips she looked behind him to see Sai, carrying the seemingly lifeless Naruto in his arms. _

_Upon seeing this, her heart pounded hard in her chest as she pushed past Shikamaru to inspect her damaged friend. _

_"Put him down!" She ordered harshly, assisting Sai in lowering the teen gently to the ground. Sakura pressed two fingers against his neck to check his pulse rate and then proceeded to examine his body._

_"Tell me what happened?" She said in a shaky but quieter tone. She would have to put her skills before any and all emotion. _

_Sai was the first to speak. " We couldn't find any injuries on his body. I don't think he's been hurt."_

_Sakura felt the blond's forehead, which was hot to the touch. _

_"He has a fever." She stated in confusion. This didn't line up. Naruto had been perfectly fine during training yesterday and showed absolutely no signs of a coming illness. _

_"Naruto-kun, Can you hear me?" _

_Gently unzipping his jacket and pulling up his shirt, she checked for any other symptoms but could find nothing. Seeing that he remained unconscious was beyond unsettling. _

_"Sai, I need you to help me carry him. He needs to get to the medical center right now." She said less sternly. _

_The fair skinned ninja nodded and took his companion back in his arms as the three of them made haste. _

_As they reached the hospital, Sakura immediately started the healing process again, putting all her energy into it._

_Minutes flew by into hours as the young woman was completely spent. The other medical personnel had to order her to stop and promised that they would take over to which she was very reluctant. They didn't have half the knowledge she had, and yet...how could she not agree considering that her body would eventually give out anyway. _

_Feeling overwhelmed, she backed away from her closest friend as she attempted to keep herself from falling apart. A few tears fell from her eyes and she quickly wiped them away, hating how weak she was._

_'Useless...Useless...Useless..' The word tortured her mind. _

_Swaying back into a chair next to the wall, an old nurse handed her a glass of water and patted her shoulder gently. "Maybe it would be best for you to rest and go home." She said quietly. Her statement was not a suggestion._

_Sakura gripped the armrest of the chair and glared up at the old woman. " I agreed to stop healing him for awhile..until my strength returns...I never said I would agree to leave him, grandma!" She replied angrily, feeling some more tears flow down her cheeks._

_The nurse crossed her arms and furrowed her brow at this..having fell victim to Sakura's rough tone. 'Konoha's youth are becoming more and more stubborn through the years.' She thought to herself with a sigh. Still, she could see how much the girl cared for the ill boy and it lessened her irritability slightly._

_'Well then!" The nurse cried sharply after a long pause, causing Sakura to startle. _

_"If you're feeling__** that **__awake, you'll have to continue on like a nurse and help us out a little bit. No healing of course...until you've recovered." The old woman added, pulling Sakura up from the chair. _

_The pink haired teen smiled through her tears, happy that she was able to do __**something **__until she saw the expression of the old granny. A small but mischievous smile played on her face and she coughed to cover up her crackling giggles. _

_Sakura could only guess what she was up to...she had, after all, been slightly rude to the woman._

_"Ladies, I need to speak with you about Naruto's condition. We need to crack this case and figure out what we're dealing with." The old nurse ordered. All the young women taking care of Naruto, nodded obediently and stepped out of the room. _

_"As for you..." She continued, walking over to the cupboard and pulling the door open, "Get that young man in to one of these gowns and make sure he's ready when the other nurses come back in." _

_Sakura's eyes widened in astonishment as she watched the lady toss the hospital clothing on to the bed. _

_"B-But-" She stuttered, grabbing the lady's arm as she moved to leave. _

_"No buts...there's nobody else in here to do it, is there?" She asked, mockingly scanning the room. _

_Sakura shook her head violently and tried to protest. There was no room for sadness at the moment as her one and only current emotion could be seen in the red hue of her cheeks. _

_"Join us afterward. We'll need your skill in coming up with a diagnosis." _

_As the old woman left the room, Sakura shouted after her. _

_There was no getting out of it. After a few moments of staring at Naruto and then back to the gowns, she forced herself to push past her feelings._

_"The faster I get it over with...the faster I can help him." She whispered, feeling her face get hotter and hotter. _

_She opened her mouth to speak to the blond, just in case, as she gently lifted him up in to a sitting position. Her mind searched for something to say and then thought it better to keep silent. _

_'That granny's going to pay.' She growled inside. _

_After much struggling and having some fairly embarrassing moments, Sakura managed to get the sleeping Jinchuuriki into his thin cotton apparel. Laying him back down, and covering his feverish frame up with a blanket was the easiest part, and she was silently grateful it was over. _

_" It's a good thing you're not awake yet, baka." She murmured into his ear, even though she would really do anything to see his vibrant blue eyes again._

_She patted his hand lightly, and then comfortably took it in her hands, feeling herself fall back into the anxious mode. _

_"I'm going to find out what's wrong with you, alright?" She assured him as she got up and turned towards the door. _

_"Sak..." It was barely a whisper._

_Sakura nearly fell back to Naruto's side. She heard him...she wasn't imagining it. " Naruto-kun!? Naruto!"_

_She softly tapped his cheeks and took his hand back in her own. _

_Silence...a deafening silence. She stared at his seemingly peaceful face, which was completely still, with absolutely no sign of consciousness.  
_

_With a few disappointing minutes, she waited for some kind of sign from the blond, but none came. _

_'He's made it out of these situations before.' She reassured herself. 'He'll pull out of this mess.'_

_As she stood back up, her body nearly gave out on her, but she caught herself. " I'm a medical ninja, dammit...I won't fall this easily!" She said with determination._

_She suddenly took note of his normal clothes that she left on the floor and slowly moved to pick them up._

_Gently folding the various items, she lastly stared at the warm jacket, holding it up as if it were a precious treasure. _

_Pulling the garment to her chest, she held it there for only a few seconds, allowing herself to release some of her bottled feelings before folding it quickly as well. Naruto was a wonderful friend to her and that was all. That was all she needed. _

_Things would be back to normal again before she knew it. Naruto would be his annoying, idiotic self in no time...and she could go on 'pretending'. _

_Her mind continued to taunt her with the facts. _

_Just then, the nurses returned to the room, including the troublesome old lady. _

_"What have you been doing, child? We need you!" She probed Sakura. _

_Sakura turned to her and smiled. "I told you I wouldn't leave him, grandma." She replied with sarcasm, crossing her legs and looking defiant. _

_To her surprise the white haired lady grinned at this and folded her hands. "Right, I almost forgot about that." She said with a chuckle. "I do hope that task I gave you wasn't to difficult." _

_Sakura blushed and muttered curses under her breath, trying to get her anger to subside. _

_Ignoring the woman's gaze, she turned her thoughts to the other healers. She could only hope that they would buy her some time before her strength returned. She would save him...even if it meant sacrificing everything._

...

"Room 2! Room 2!" Sakura heard a man yell.

Kakashi bolted through the door, followed by a few doctors in white coats. Naruto continued to heave and gag as if he would continue on forever, grasping the bowl Sakura had given him and shaking violently.

While one man proceeded to examine him, Sakura immediately gave him all the information he was looking for, leaving the doctor puzzled and uncertain.

Just then Kakashi stooped down to Naruto's stomach contents and examined it closely, leaving everyone staring at him; some with questioning gazes and others in disgust.

The gray haired ninja's eyes widened in shock as he came to a realization, looking up at Sakura as he did so.

"Kakashi-sensei?" The pink haired teen stated quietly.

Her heart nearly stopped. Her teacher knew something and it wasn't going to be anything positive. She knew that expression all to well.

Kakashi stood up and everyone braced themselves for the man's knowing conclusions. He stared at his ailing student and he felt his blood began to boil beneath his skin.

"Naruto...has been poisoned."

_TBC..._

_..._

_A/N: So I am not as happy with this chapter, BUT, I promise the next will be better. It was hard to explain everything so i hope it all made sense. _

_At first, I didn't intend to make that semi-amusing scene where Sakura has to dress Naruto, but it sort of just happened while I was writing...so. _

_I'd appreciate you guy's thoughts on it as I enjoy any and all comments. I just hope its not to horrible. HAHA_

_:sigh: If it needs editing though, let me know and I'll fix some things._

_Thanks you guys! and God Bless_

_:nervously awaits reviews: _


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: On to Chapter 3!

_Hey Readers! I edited this slightly, as I decided that I wanted to explain a lot more in the next coming chapter. Thanks for waiting!!_

........

_Hours of re-search later and she was praying this wasn't the conclusion. A million questions flooded her mind. Was Hinata right about...?_

Sakura moved towards Naruto. The boy's pained blue eyes gazed up at hers as he attempted to find answers in her face. They had been experimenting on him

for a good two hours and there was still no sign of what kind of poison it was.

The pink haired girl shook her head and bit her bottom lip as she forced herself to think more clearly.

"Lay down!" She cried suddenly, as she pushed him gently back towards the bed. The others around her stood in surprise, wondering if she knew

what was going on.

"Sak-" Naruto started to protest.

"Shh..If you feel sick, let me know, alright? I need to examine you." She interjected.

Kakashi moved to the bed as well, hoping Sakura could find something.

Unbuttoning the blond's gown halfway, her eyes scanned for any evidence to find the type of poison that was

attacking his body.

Ignoring the obviously awkward situation, her fingers brushed across his skin, in silent search for the clues. His life now depended on her, the sobering thought

pushed all other things aside, as everything Tsunade taught her came to the front of her mind.

A short gasp escaped her lips as she spotted what she had feared.

There, on Naruto's lower side, was a massive purplish bruise forming. She had seen this kind of symptom before in her studies,

and she was all too aware of how hard it was to cure.

"Naruto..." She barely whispered, feeling the rising lump in her throat.

Naruto gripped the sheets as he pushed himself up to see what was causing such distress. " Sakura-chan?"

Sakura, once again, bid him to lay down, and she turned to look at Kakashi.

"I have two days..." She softly stated at first. "Two days to cure this!"

Standing to her feet, the medical ninja clenched her fist and stared at the floor briefly, doubt taunting her mind.

"Naruto-kun!" She shouted, nearly startling everyone, including her charge.

"You have to fight! Do you understand?" Her gaze turned towards him once more. " Its only going to get worse from here, but...but...Don't you dare

give up!"

To her surprise, the jinchurikii gave a weak smile in return, now knowing the full situation. "Sakura-chan...There's no..no way I'm going to let this kill me."

He struggled to say.

"I still have...have to become Hokage."

Oh, how she wanted to embrace him after that, to comfort him once more as she had done earlier; however the pride and fear in her heart continued to force her backwards.

She found that a simple smile was all she could give to him.

Kakashi took the young woman aside as the other nurses began to tend to Naruto and the mess on the floor.

"I will tell Tsunade of this matter and attempt to find out who did this." He stated quietly. "In the meantime, what do you need?"

"Please, Sensei.." Sakura started. " Watch over Naruto. I must go find the supplies I need in order to save him."

........................................................

A/N:Okay.....so hopefully now that I've edited the chapter it will tie in with the next one. HAHA I'm glad you guys put up with me. :D Love ya!!


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: Okay! I'm sorry I delayed it once again...**PLEASE READ CHAPTER 3 OVER AGAIN!!! I RE-EDITED IT A BIT TO MAKE SENSE WITH THIS CHAPTER. Thanks :)**_

_**Enjoy!** I really hope you do. _

.....................................................................................

Sakura sprinted through the forest as fast as she could. Having traveled already for a good few miles from the village, she became aware of just how unprepared she was for her journey.

'No matter,' She told herself. 'I don't have the time to be comfortable, anyway.'

She jumped slightly as she noticed the followers behind her.

"Sakura!" The familiar voice of Shikamaru called out.

The pink haired shinobi turned momentarily to see both Sai and Shikamaru quickly catching up to her.

"Kakashi sent us to help you out. Can you hold up for a moment?" Sai asked.

Sakura gave a frustrated sigh as she continued to bolt through the trees.

" I don't have time to sit and explain everything to both of you. If Kakashi sent you, then so be it. Just don't slow me down!"

Now it was Shikamaru's turn to be annoyed. Clenching his fists, he sped up along side her. "Medical ninja or not, you are definitely not thinking rationally. Your feelings for Na-"

The dark haired teen was completely caught of guard as Sakura whirled around and pinned him sharply to a tree.

Her normally bright green eyes now appeared to be darker than the forest surrounding them.

"You don't know anything.."She growled lowly...threateningly.

"Not a damn thing!!"

Beads of sweat fell from her face and her heavy breathing seemed to intensify with the sudden burst of fury she felt.

Sai watched in awe at his comrades' sudden behavior. He still had so much to learn about people. There was no way he could understand the situation before him...especially with his books being back at the village.

As Sakura released her grip on Shikamaru's jacket, she stared at the ground with a mixture of guilt and hopelessness.

"In fourty-eight hours, Naruto will be dead!" She cried, fighting back her tears.

"Mere _hours _before the poison kills him!"

An intense wind blew through the air, as if nature itself was appalled by this reality.

"So don't tell me that I'm not being rational."

Smoothing out his attire, Shikamaru turned his head casually towards the sky, undisturbed by what had just happened.

"We haven't figured out who poisoned him yet." He stated matter-of-fact.

Sakura's eyes widened. Up until now, she had forgotten about whoever was responsible. A mixture of fear and rage tore at her heart.

Only the lowest, most cowardly enemy would attack someone by poison. This was especially true since the type of poison that attacked Naruto was most likely ingested by the blonde. The thought of someone slipping something in Naruto's ramen while he was happily eating every last drop made her sick to her stomach.

"We're not here to slow your journey, but rather to hasten it." Shikamaru spoke again, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"And if you end up running into trouble, you're not gonna have the time to fight. That's why he sent us."

Sai smiled in agreement as he moved towards the other two.

Sakura met her companions' faces with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry..." She whispered, pressing her palm to her forehead.

"Thank you...Thank you so much."

Both boys were surprised when the medical ninja suddenly sat down on the ground.

Taking the small backpack off of her shoulders, she reached in to it and pulled out a rather tiny book of what seemed to be different medicines and healing techniques.

"Two minutes won't jeopardize our mission." She spoke aloud, though she knew it might cause her own self extreme anxiety.

Shikamaru and Sai listened carefully as Sakura gave the the information that they needed.

"Naruto's bruise-like mark on his lower side is due to the poison attacking his liver. He's bleeding internally...I'm hoping that since he is a jinchuuriki that the progression will be slower..but I can't be certain. There was no way I was going to wait and find out." She paused slightly, moving on and showing them the specific plant they were searching for.

"This is the one..." She pointed to a drawing in the book.

"And we're going to need a pretty good amount of it."

Shikamaru frowned. "Um...Isn't that one of the most poisonous plants known to man?"

The sky began to darken with massive gray clouds, giving warning of the coming rain.

Sakura nodded.

"Yes...earlier we tried quickly testing every antidote known in Konoha. I personally wanted to test the antidote that I made against Sasori's poison to save Kankarou because I had a suspicion that the poison was similar. When I tested the antidote, I watched it do something that we didn't get to witness in the other medicines. Because Sasori's antidote was so much more potent against paralysis, I watched the poison adapt and counter the antidote and then return to its original form.

At that moment I knew we weren't dealing with any average poison that we'd seen before, but this one had an almost parasitic quality.

This led me to the conclusion that there must be chakra molded into the poison somehow." She paused to see if they were following.

"I called Hinata into the room and had her look at the poison with her _Byakugan_ and she verified that there was chakra in the poison. At this time I knew I needed to go back and see if there were any other symptoms that Naruto was showing. When I saw the bruising on his side, I knew it was because his liver was fighting against the poison and was slowly being destroyed. I then doubted we would find a cure by normal methods of designing an antidote. At that moment I was so angry all I wanted to do was kill the poison, which gave me an idea.

Naruto's immune system and liver were already rapidly being ruined and I knew of a plant that was extremely poisonous if left in the body's system for even a short period of time. If our enemy can mold chakra into an antidote I think I can as well...however primitive it may be. My goal is to mold enough chakra in to the poison from this plant, that I'll be able to trace it quickly inside Naruto's body. Once administered, it will begin to shut down everything in Naruto, as well as the poison. My only hope is in knowing that this is the strongest natural toxin known to us and that it will temporarily paralyze the poison so that the chakra is then trying to counter the poison that we injected.

"And then with the chakra you molded in to your poison, you will be able to trace and remove both poisons at once." Shikamaru interjected, fully understanding.

"Exactly. I can't pull the first poison out while its at its full strength because I fear it will instantly kill Naruto." Sakura replied.

"Are you going to be extracting this poison in the same way you extracted poison from Kankarou?" The boy questioned.

"Yes...Its the only way to get both of them out before they kill Naruto....but.. I fear it may be far more painful than Kankarou's experience."

Sakura shut the book quickly and came to her feet.

"We can't take up any more time. Let's find what we need."

Shikamaru nodded, but couldn't help noticing the young woman was shaking slightly as she talked.

He remembered that day in the hospital. Some hidden secrets can't help but reveal themselves over a matter of time.

Had it been any other time, he would have smiled at his logical conclusion, but it didn't feel right. For now he could only feel sympathy for his peer.

......................................................................................

_A/N: ::rips hair out:: I was so nervous writing this. I'm not great at explaining medical things at all..which was what this whole chapter was about! I'm so sorry if you guys are clueless. haha Please review...I think...:D _

_*I hope everyone knows who Sasori and Kankarou are. HAHA_

_Shikamaru: Why don't you just shut up and let them review. -_- _

_Shawcross Gal: ::cries: Okay! _


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